Overview
About This Game
A horror adventure set amidst the islands of the Caribbean in the Age of Piracy.
Game System
GURPS
Advertising
10/05/2024
Detailed Description
Deadline for applications is 10/4, with an intended start of 10/7.
Game details:
The year is 1661, well in the Age of Piracy. Player characters have been dragooned from the prisons of St. Kitts into serving on the ship of one Theodosius Malachi, a notorious captain better known for performing the underhanded tasks the movers and shakers of the Caribbean set him to, no questions asked. As they begin serving their sentence, a delivery of unknown cargo to the island of Whispering Cay, they begin to discover that things are not quite what they seem....
A Crown of Fetters will be run using the free GURPS Lite rules, with some Basic Set rules (particularly combat rules) added in as I see fit. Players new to GURPS are more than welcome to join!
Character Creation:
The scenario comes with six pre-generated characters, built using GURPS Swashbucklers, and can be seen here. Anyone interested in playing as one of these pre-gens (recommended for newbies) can simply nominate themselves to play one that strikes their fancy (or any, in which case I will select for them).
For anyone wishing to build a new character (or replace a dead one...):
- 100 points, 30 points of disads and quirks (max of 5 quirks). Note that the pregens are not quite built to the same standard, but are close enough that they can be used as a reference.
- Lite or Basic Set costs can be used. Genre-appropriate elements from GURPS Swashbucklers or Horror can be brought in on an item-by-item basis.
- All starting PCs are prisoners of the governor of the island of St. Kitts, which should be kept in mind when considering their background, abilities, and starting possessions. Whether the character is actually guilty of the crimes for which they have been imprisoned is up to the player.
- There are light magical elements in the module, but characters should not be able to natively cast spells. Familiarity with occult rituals or folk magic (e.g. voodoo) is OK.
- PCs can be any gender, and all gender identities will be treated equally
Game Themes and Expectations
As this is a horror game, there will be violence, death, undeath, body horror, grotesqueries, blasphemies against God and nature, violations of social norms, cats and dogs living together (quelle horreur!)... I will not be going into particular detail on any of these, but they will be present and sometimes in the forefront of the action - think PG-13 to a light R rather than a hard R.
I'm looking for team players who are willing to push the story forward, potentially at the cost of their character (in keeping with the theme). Even though the characters are (potentially) self-serving cutthroat criminals, I expect players to find justifications for their characters to work together, not stab each other in the back, and adhere to sailors' social conventions. Be excellent to each other, OOC if not IC.
Expect roughly three GM posts a week, with players posting at the same frequency or above. I will move on to the next GM post after 72 hours, earlier if everyone has responded before then. Don't feel like you have to contribute a meaningful response to every GM post if it doesn't make sense, but a simple "my character stays silent/keeps doing what they were doing" would be helpful.
About me:
I've been playing PBP for well over a decade now, with a long break in the middle, and experienced in a wide variety of systems. I'm still a fledgling GM, so apologies in advance for errors, mistakes and potentially some backtracking on my part. I will do my best to listen to the opinions of the players when it comes to rules/rulings, so while any rulings are final, don't be afraid to speak up and constructively point out potential errors or issues.
Community
GURPS
- What's new in this game
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Apologies for the delays, this past weekend and work week have turned out busier than expected. I'll try to get the team selected and starting post up by tomorrow. -
Oh, that sounds good! Thanks, Col.! Here's hoping that Bobcloclimar says "yes" to that. (But even if not, I'll stay my course. Jacquie's not created as fighter, anyway.) Olothontor the Dreamer -
Actually, it could help. A handgun held in both hands counts as "braced", meaning the extra stability gives you a +1, which would offset the -1 ST penalty (depending on the GM of course) -
For those of us taking pre-mades, is there anything we should be doing? -
That sounds good! 😀 Regarding a suspicious crew: Yeah, I didn't expect anything else - she's supposed to be somewhat spooky, anyway. (Probably even a bit to Vodou believers, at least if they're familiar with her (rumour-based) Reputation. (She might even have spread a few of those rumours herself ...) And she prefers to use her rituals in private/with Vodou believers present only, so that's not a problem, either. To your replies: a) From what I can tell, the Ritual Magic system from Voodoo is almost like the one from Spirits, if you have access to that? (The latter one seems a bit more generic and uses different names for the individual Rituals, and allows actual spellcasting as well, from what I saw.) I could put together a summary/overview of the things relevant to Macabre Jacquie, like the Combat Maneuver sheet you gave us, if you want? b) Fantastic - I'll use that instead of Naturalist, then! No wait, I need the latter as prerequisite, as I see. Nevermind, I'll get that sorted out. Now, where to get the necessary points ... *wanders off* c) Same as for b) - I'll use Esoteric Medicine instead of Physician. (First Aid stays, of course.) d) *nods* Yeah, she'll probably be holding the pistol with both hands when using it. (For roleplaying purposes - I don't think it helps rules-wise, correct?) And as for the hat: I blame Aveline de Grandpré from Assassin's Creed for that! Her Lady disguise has such a great hat, I just couldn't resist. Imagine such a hat on Tia Dalma from Pirates of the Caribbean (links for the sake of completeness), and you have a useful approximation of how Macabre Jacquie would look. Probably smoking a cigar. 😁 Olothontor the Dreamer edith reports: Got the character sheet corrected regarding those skills! edith mumbles embarrassedly: Also discovered that "Haiti" wasn't really a geographical term in that time period. I'll better change that to Hispaniola in my background story. Ahem. (Behind you! A three-headed monkey! 🙊)
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I like this character concept and think she would fit in really well, although I will caution that she's likely to be treated with suspicion by the other sailors on the ship, and may not be able to use her rituals openly (especially amongst the more superstitious). For your questions: a) I'm not at all familiar with how the GURPS voodoo system works. Looking at your character sheet, it appears that it's based off Ritual Path Magic, which I actually just re-familiarized myself with the other day, so I think I could make it work, especially if it's more focused on making charms or conditional rituals vs improvised spellcasting. b) Herb Lore (for magical/alchemical preparations) is actually a separate skill in Basic (not present in Lite). Since you're building using non-Lite sources, you'll need to include that cost as well (IQ/Very Hard). c) The relevant skill here is Esoteric Medicine, which is Per/Hard. First Aid will also be useful in a pinch. d) Equipment seems OK, and I love the hat. Since she's understrength, any attacks with the flintlock will be at -1.
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Heya! That is one game advertisement that is hard to resist for me... I just love pirate stories, especially those with some fantastic elements. Monkey Island, Pirates of the Caribbean... those really hit me in the right spot. 😉 I haven't been active on the new Myth Weaver forum yet (only the old one), so that's a first - and the other, probably more noteworthy one: I haven't actually played GURPS before. However, I did spend the last days with my nose deep in some of the books - GURPS Lite, of course, and some Voodoo, Swashbucklers, and 4e basic rules in search of elements required for the character concept I'd like to play. There are of course still a few questions and uncertainties left regarding the character (see "OOC" in the first post), but otherwise, I hope I'm ready! Olothontor the Dreamer edith whispers: Are speech colours going to be used? If so, I would like to claim Dark Green - if I'm chosen as player, of course. Ahem.
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Macabre Jacquie Vodou Practitioner HP: 9/9 || FP: 10/10 || DR: - || Speed: 5 || Move: 5 Dodge: 8 || Block: - || Parry: 8 || Large Knife: 11 (sw 1d-3 cut/th 1d-2 imp) || Flintlock Pistol: 10 (2d-1 pi+) Mentored by a houngan in the mangrove swamps of Hispaniola, Macabre Jacquie (as she nowadays goes by) was on her way to become a Vodou practitioner herself. When he slowly set her to darker and darker tasks as his assistant, she finally realized that her mentor was in fact a bòkòr, a dark sorcerer, and not a reputable Vodou priest ... Not long before her third and last initiation ritual, she could take it no longer, poisoned her teacher and fled her home. Taking to the sea, she ended up on Saint Kitts, where she found work as a fortune-teller's assisstant. But her luck turned bad when a wealthy merchant, Absalom Ballantyne, came to her with a desperate plea; he would pay her richly if she could cure his young placée consort, whose sickness had stumped the local doctor. Although Jacquie attempted all she could, the woman succumbed to her sickness, and the enraged merchant accused her of murder! Making use of his close connections with Governor Watts, he got her thrown into a prison cell and waiting for the gallows ... OOC: Haven't actually played GURPS yet - although I've burrowed into a few of the books over the last days, I'm afraid I do have a few questions left: a) Is the "Vodou magic" part of the character all right as it is, or do I have to change anything? (Or forgotten anything important?) b) Does "Naturalist" cover herbal lore? c) "Physician" covers all sorts and traditions of the healing arts, correct? Or only the western-scientific type? (If so, what would be better for a Vodou healer?) d) Is the equipment all right? Cobbled it together from looking at the pregen sheets, GURPS Lite, and Swashbucklers ... Background Character Sheet
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I appreciate you accommodating total newbies and have applied to be a part of this campaign. I hope to see you in the campaign, if I'm not selected as a player hopefully I still have the opportunity to follow along as a viewer. -
"Sooner feed the fish than have that mind marooned, Bilge-Sucking, scallywag, Kitts noose me neck. We'll get outta this one, Gordo, just you watch n' see" As someone new to myth-weavers and GURPS I humble offer my application to play "Frutos Loco". That being said, it would not take any much convincing to play any of the other pre-generated characters. Fair winds! Frutos Loco.pdf
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Hi Chewie, Happy to have your interest, and I can help you with the system as it comes up - don't be afraid to ask questions or for clarifications, whether it's the system or site/PBP protocol. I don't view anyone deciding to drop out if they decide it's not for them as a waste of time, especially if they're new to the system and are still learning the ropes. Taking the Retreat option when defending (in response to having an attacker succeed on their attack roll) generally gives you a +1 to Block and Parry, and +3 to Dodge. The Parry bonus increases to +3 when parrying with fencing weapons or certain unarmed skills.
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Thanks for the explanation. Stop thrust looks really nice. I saw something about withdrawing with a fencing weapon makes your parry better. If it's not too much of a bother, could you explain how that works. My app is kinda focussed on defensive sword work. -
Hi there @Bobcloclimar, Thank you for putting this one. I understand that this is open to people that are new to GURPS and wanted to check if it was also open to people that are completely new to this site as well as the PBP style of playing TTRPs? I've been reading the lite version of the link that you provided and do not own the basics, would this hinder me in playing? I'm most interested in trying out Frutos Loco but understand if my complete basic understanding of how this all works makes me ineligible - I fully understand any apprehension in allowing me. I wanted to check first before posting in the Character and potentially getting selected to play, finding a conflict, and wasting your time. At the very least you have provided me with a TTRPG system to review.
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Sort of, but it's an organic result of the melee rules. Since combat turns are only a second long, you typically either move or attack, but not both (except at an extreme penalty and a modified cap of 9, which is ~38% chance of success). Since you are allowed to Step one hex with an attack, having a Reach 1,2 weapon like the rapier gives you a larger threat range (i.e. a target three hexes away could be attacked, while a Reach 1 weapon would only threaten one two hexes away). If you think someone is going to come into that threatened range in their turn, but your turn comes first (usually from having a higher Speed), you can also use the Wait maneuver to attack before they reach you. There's a variant of the Wait/Attack maneuver called the Stop Thrust which adds extra damage to this sort of attack, provided additional conditions are met.
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So, reach decides who strikes first while folk are closing?
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There are other effects in with the more advanced combat rules; some weapons can only hit Reach X (e.g. a naginata), and inside that can't be used at all (or at a significant penalty), while others have different Reach stats depending on how you're utilizing them (and require a Ready maneuver to change, like a halberd). Unlike other systems, in GURPS you can enter an opponent's hex (defined as Reach C, roughly grappling range), at which point only a couple weapons are effective (knives, daggers, etc.). Long story short, the rapier is good at engaging opponents before they can get close enough to fight you with their most likely weapons (small swords, clubs, etc.), but it'll be a liability in a close scrum.
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Thanks. Reason I asked was that in other systems reach means more. In Pathfinder and similiar it means I get to attack you as you move get inside reach. In Shadowrun, it gives the one with the longer reach a skill bonus.
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Reach dictates how many hexes away the weapon can hit (assuming a 1-yard hex). I haven't decided if we're going to do map-based combat or theater of the mind, but in the case of the latter, Reach matters less. Given the era, a saber would be more appropriate, but I could see her having a rather nice rapier obtained through questionable means. The starting cash for TL4 (Age of Sail) is $2000, but since you start out as a prisoner, it will be reduced. The pregens have a wide range of starting equipment value (from $90 to $1100), so I'd WAG it around $500. Or you can choose some starting gear that seems appropriate for the circumstances (which inexplicably includes weapons and armor), and I'll let you know if it works - small petty items (look at e.g. Chroferus or Mad Pottock) that round out the character are always a plus.
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Pondering a weapon. Rapier has reach 1, 2. A Sabre has reach 1. What's the advantage to more Reach, I can't find anything in the index about it. Sabre seems it would allow me to cut things.. like ropes, but rapier wouldn't. So, I find myself saying Rapier has Reach 1,2.. so what? Starting cash for equipment seems to be a function of the Tech Level. Can I ask what the Tech Level is?
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I played GURPS for a few sessions a couple of decades ago. So, I guess that makes me a false beginner. I'm muddling through everything so far because I have oodles of time. If anything seems 'off' please let me know.
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I would like to play Hieronimo :)
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Winnie 'Red Ribbon' Stewart Winnie's Theme (Carter Burwell's fantastic music for the movie Rob Roy) I'm Winnie Stewart and as you've likely guessed from my sing-song lilting voice, I'm a Scots lass. The upheaval of the bubonic plague which afflicted Scotland's east coast in 1645, witnessed half of the country on the move, on the run from the Reaper. This left thousands destitute, mine own included. I was but a child when my family arrived in Glasgow from the Highlands. These were the Cromwell years with Scotland subjugated to the wishes of Westminster. They weren't bad years for most. Many law abiding folk prospered, but not me and mine. Thanks to previous privations, we were already outlaws. The youngest daughter I was a chimney sweep for a while. Didn't die.. obviously, being naturally bendy and good in tight spaces. I got bendier over time, just to survive. I saw many a kid skid off rain slippery roof slates and tumble to their deaths. I vowed that would never be me. I guess I was still young enough for me to grow into what I wanted my body to be.. something that would keep me alive in high, tight, narrow dangerous places. I turned those advantages to burglary, the other choices being starvation, prostitution or becoming a permanent resident in a chimney flue. Through a mutual acquaintance, a certain Maxwell McIntyre, a fence of stolen goods I struck up an acquaintance with one Rufus Sutherland, an up and rising duelist with a side line in larceny and con artistry. I was the wayward girl and Rufus my cuckolded fiance. 'Pay out or guts out in a duel, your choice'. Other times, I was in through the attic window and he was waiting by the door to be let in. T'was Maxwell, our Fence, who introduced us both to Captain Dalgleish, a smuggler, though in actual fact a pirate, when we were running two steps in front of Cromwell's Roundheads. Not to outrun them meant a dance of the Gallowgate Jig. Last we saw of Scotland was Stornoway, disappearing aftwards. I got better with a rapier. Dalgleish, or Captain Kenny as I came to call him, said it gave me distance when fighting a bigger, stronger man. No berth for slackers, he counted my sword, even if it were swished around by a 'willowy minx' who needed to impale. I became quite the Swordswoman, though in truth most of my deadliness derived from being underestimated by men. I bunked with Corinne Fonteney, an older girl out of Marseille. She used to be a doxie by trade and still was by inclination. She'd been on the losing side of the Fronde, the revolts in France at the same time Cromwell was facing off against Charles, and had likewise got going while the going was good. In any case, she was astounded at my flexibility and taught me "French" things that would tempt a Puritan out of Heaven. I think I was being schooled to be in her employ, if we ever got off the ship. I got off the ship, sans Rufus who'd taken a musket ball to the ear. I 'obtained' the cash for a gown and pretended to be a woman of some means by day, while robbing places blind by night. This was how I met Percy Cavendish, nephew to William Watts and lit up his every sense. Irony was I actually fell for the shy, wide eyed lord's son. The rest as they say is incarceration. William Watts, the Governor of St. Kitts, is cleverer than he looks. Watts imprisoned you. Watts took offence after he discovered you had 'physically' seduced his ward and was about to elope for marriage to his 400 pounds a year annual endowment. Watts promised to have you burned at the stake as a witch and seductress. You must escape his island... and never return
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I’d like to apply for Chroferus Denton -
You’ve got it.
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OOC and questions
Bobcloclimar replied to Bobcloclimar's topic in A Crown of Fetters's Miscellaneous
Just post a thread in the Character Creation forum, titled with your name and the character name (e.g. "Romulus25 - Chroferus Denton").
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